Birding festivals take place all over the country. They give us a chance to go out into the field with local experts, in beautiful locations, and see birds we might not see at home. We traveled to Maine!
This is a small well-run birding festival, a great introduction to anyone who has never tried one before.
Most of the field trip locations were within Acadia National Park, and all were beautiful.
Seabirds and warblers were the main attractions.
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| Common Eiders |
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| Common Loon |
The waters off the rockbound coast were full of eider, loons, gulls, and all three kinds of scoter (Black, White-winged and Surf).
Warblers were everywhere, giving many participants the dreaded birding malady known as Warbler Neck.
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| Palm Warbler |
Black-throated Green Warblers were everywhere!
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| Black-and-white Warbler |
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| Nashville Warbler |
Other festival warblers: Northern Parula, Ovenbird, Blackpoll, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Pine, Yellow-rumped, Bay-breasted, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia and Blackburnian. A male Blackburnian's flame-colored throat flashing in the sun was the highlight of one field trip!
Even before the field trips, we saw our first unusual birds: a group of seven sleepy Purple Sandpipers sharing the seawall with one lone Semipalmated Sandpiper.
By this time of year, most Purple Sandpipers have moved on to their breeding grounds way up north in Nunavut, Baffin Island or Greenland. Every time we mentioned the sandpipers for the rest of our trip, we heard the same thing: Ooooh. That's a GOOD bird!
(They don't look very purple in these photos, but when they're on their breeding grounds and in full breeding plumage they have a lot of dark gray plumage and look purplish from a distance.)
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| Semipalmated Sandpiper |
Kudos to:
- festival organizer Becky Marvil and everyone working with her
- all of the field trip guides, especially Raymond, Bob, Craig and Edison (Bob Duchesne apparently had a special remote control device hidden in a pocket. He'd say, "Maybe there's a Philadelphia Vireo around" or "Let's try for a Spruce Grouse" - and that very bird would appear!)
- Seawall Motel - a sponsor of the festival; clean, friendly, comfy, convenient; has extensive and tasty complimentary breakfasts; offers discounts to festival participants and even provides special festival breakfasts starting at 5AM!!
More images from the field trips:
The woods were full of the elegant purple blossoms of Rhodora, a plant that loves bogs.
When we came across this old cemetery hidden in the woods at the Blagden Preserve, Bernie suggested that every stone marked a birder who had died of Warbler Neck.
This big old oak tree was planted on the very day that President Lincoln was assassinated.
We passed on the festival's famous lobster dinner (neither of us like lobster) but found great places to eat elsewhere. Fresh seafood is available all over Mt. Desert Island!
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| Bass Harbor Head Light |
We left ourselves some free time between festival events for wandering and sightseeing.
We'll remember the birds and the people - but even more we'll remember the beauty, the crashing waves, the quiet, and the peace!!
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| Common Raven |
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| Herring Gull |
